Gold Star family of slain soldier booed on flight

Associated Press

Published 11:12 pm, Saturday, November 19, 2016

Photo: Department Of Defense Via AP, File

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This undated file photo provided by the Fort Hood, Texas Press Center shows U.S. Army Sgt. John W. Perry of Stockton, Calif. Stewart Perry, the father of a soldier recently killed in Afghanistan says he felt disrespected and hurt by passengers who booed him and his family when they were on a flight that was running late to meet his son’s remains and passengers were asked to remain seated so they could deplane first. Perry’s son, 30-year-old Sgt. John Perry, of Stockton, California, died of injuries inflicted by an improvised explosive device attack Nov. 12, 2016, inside Bagram Airfield. less

This undated file photo provided by the Fort Hood, Texas Press Center shows U.S. Army Sgt. John W. Perry of Stockton, Calif. Stewart Perry, the father of a soldier recently killed in Afghanistan says he felt ... more

Photo: Department Of Defense Via AP, File

Gold Star family of slain soldier booed on flight

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STOCKTON, Calif. >> The father of a California soldier recently killed in Afghanistan says he felt disrespected and hurt by passengers who booed him and his family when they were on a flight to meet his son’s remains.

Stewart Perry tells the Stockton Record he and his wife and daughter were flying on an American Airlines flight from Sacramento to Philadelphia with a transfer in Phoenix to receive the remains of his son, Sgt. John Perry, of Stockton.

He says the flight to Phoenix was 45 minutes late and the crew, fearing the Perrys could miss their connecting flight, made an announcement for passengers to remain seated to let a “special military family” deplane first.

Perry says several passengers in first class booed, complaining that it was “baloney” and that they paid first-class fares.